Any Running Mamas?

Hey Ladies! I'm running my first marathon on Oct 16 (yikes!), anyone have any last minute tips for me??? I'm already starting to get nervous! I have run a couple of 1/2 marathons, but I'm not sure they will even compare to 26.2 miles!

Tyna

Hey Ladies! I'm running my first marathon on Oct 16 (yikes!), anyone have any last minute tips for me??? I'm already starting to get nervous! I have run a couple of 1/2 marathons, but I'm not sure they will even compare to 26.2 miles!

Think of it like three races. 10, 10, and 6. Don't let yourself think of the whole distance together because it is overwhelming. Take short walk breaks when you need them, make sure you have your hydration/fuel situation figured out. No new shoes, clothes, or food race day!

Think of it like three races. 10, 10, and 6. Don't let yourself think of the whole distance together because it is overwhelming. Take short walk breaks when you need them, make sure you have your hydration/fuel situation figured out. No new shoes, clothes, or food race day!

Read Born to Run that book will leave you feeling like you wanna never stop running. And make think 26 miles are a piece of cake, and you know what they say its all in the mind. :) Good luck!! Remember to Have fun!!

Read Born to Run that book will leave you feeling like you wanna never stop running. And make think 26 miles are a piece of cake, and you know what they say its all in the mind. :) Good luck!! Remember to Have fun!!

Ohhhh, 10, 10 & 6 - I like that!!! I always seem to (menatally) break my training runs into "chunks" and thinking about the race like that helps! I have such a hard time with fueling and hydration, my belly is always a mess! I'm hoping to avoid the on-course porta potties, but I'm pretty certain that isn't going to be possible! On my 20 milers I tried a couple different gels/gus/chews, but I really couldn't find any that agreed with me - what do you usually use?

Tyna

Ohhhh, 10, 10 & 6 - I like that!!! I always seem to (menatally) break my training runs into "chunks" and thinking about the race like that helps! I have such a hard time with fueling and hydration, my belly is always a mess! I'm hoping to avoid the on-course porta potties, but I'm pretty certain that isn't going to be possible! On my 20 milers I tried a couple different gels/gus/chews, but I really couldn't find any that agreed with me - what do you usually use?

Gotta love Hal! I actually ended up using a Smart Coach plan from Runner's World online - and I enjoyed the plan for the ,most part - I don't think I did enough speed work/tempo runs, but my training loops are super hilly, and the marathon that I'm running is totally flat - so hopefully the hills made up for some tempo training!

Gotta love Hal! I actually ended up using a Smart Coach plan from Runner's World online - and I enjoyed the plan for the ,most part - I don't think I did enough speed work/tempo runs, but my training loops are super hilly, and the marathon that I'm running is totally flat - so hopefully the hills made up for some tempo training!

LOVED it! My fav running book ever! You're right, it totally makes 26.2 look like an easy jog :) I've even been sprinkling chia seeds on my yogurt for the last year or so! Have you ever given them a try?

LOVED it! My fav running book ever! You're right, it totally makes 26.2 look like an easy jog :) I've even been sprinkling chia seeds on my yogurt for the last year or so! Have you ever given them a try?

Gatorade every other mile (just a few swallows), and I like powerbar gummies. You could get some jelly beans and put one between you gumms and cheek every mile and let the sugar dissolve. That works well for people with sensitive tummies.

Gatorade every other mile (just a few swallows), and I like powerbar gummies. You could get some jelly beans and put one between you gumms and cheek every mile and let the sugar dissolve. That works well for people with sensitive tummies.

yes!! after I read that book I went and got some chia seeds and tried making the drink. Although it was refreshing the texture of the drink was a little too much for.me. but maybe in yogurt it won't be too noticeable!

yes!! after I read that book I went and got some chia seeds and tried making the drink. Although it was refreshing the texture of the drink was a little too much for.me. but maybe in yogurt it won't be too noticeable!

Ugh! Drinking that gel is SO nasty!! I really like them in yogurt, oatmeal and in alot of different baked goods, like muffins and bars. You can actually use the "gel" (water and seeds) as an egg replacement when baking! If you're interested I'll post a recipe with them :)

Ugh! Drinking that gel is SO nasty!! I really like them in yogurt, oatmeal and in alot of different baked goods, like muffins and bars. You can actually use the "gel" (water and seeds) as an egg replacement when baking! If you're interested I'll post a recipe with them :)

I was supposed to run my 10th marathon October 9th in Portland. I'm 16 weeks pregnant and any jolting is killing my round ligaments so I had to back out. If you followed you training program for at least 18 weeks you should have no worries. Plan your clothes and how much Gu you are going to fit in your running shorts and sports bra. Make sure you know what you're going to eat in the morning. Make sure you have an additional caloric snack for 20 minutes prior to the race start. Have fun. Running is fun. One step at a time!

I was supposed to run my 10th marathon October 9th in Portland. I'm 16 weeks pregnant and any jolting is killing my round ligaments so I had to back out. If you followed you training program for at least 18 weeks you should have no worries. Plan your clothes and how much Gu you are going to fit in your running shorts and sports bra. Make sure you know what you're going to eat in the morning. Make sure you have an additional caloric snack for 20 minutes prior to the race start. Have fun. Running is fun. One step at a time!

How fun! I ran my first marathon in January....two weeks before I got preggo! Make sure you taper in these last couple of weeks so your body is strong and rested on the big day! Carb load for a few days ahead of time and drinks lots of water! Your pee should be clear on race morning. Like another poster said, compartmentalize the run....10,10,6....or if there are landmarks, focus on them. I ran mine in Disney World, so I only focused on how many miles til the next park. Wear clothes, shoes, socks, underwear that you've worn on long runs before. And if you feel like you need to stretch during the race, there's no shame in stopping for a minute....your muscles will thank you.

I love Gu...but if it doesn't agree with you, don't do it. It doesn't agree with my sister....she sticks to ShotBlocks and other chewy things.

And HAVE FUN! If this is your first marathon, try not to get too hung up on your time. The primary goal should just be to finish!

How fun! I ran my first marathon in January....two weeks before I got preggo! Make sure you taper in these last couple of weeks so your body is strong and rested on the big day! Carb load for a few days ahead of time and drinks lots of water! Your pee should be clear on race morning. Like another poster said, compartmentalize the run....10,10,6....or if there are landmarks, focus on them. I ran mine in Disney World, so I only focused on how many miles til the next park. Wear clothes, shoes, socks, underwear that you've worn on long runs before. And if you feel like you need to stretch during the race, there's no shame in stopping for a minute....your muscles will thank you.

I love Gu...but if it doesn't agree with you, don't do it. It doesn't agree with my sister....she sticks to ShotBlocks and other chewy things.

And HAVE FUN! If this is your first marathon, try not to get too hung up on your time. The primary goal should just be to finish!

Here is a link to the BEST ever chocolate/toffee bars. The recipe is from Oh She Glows, a blogger with tons of yummy chia (and vegan) recipes. I'm not vegan, so I usually add the "real" stuff back into the recipe, like using butter for Earth Balance...

Here is a link to the BEST ever chocolate/toffee bars. The recipe is from Oh She Glows, a blogger with tons of yummy chia (and vegan) recipes. I'm not vegan, so I usually add the "real" stuff back into the recipe, like using butter for Earth Balance...

Thanks for the tips, and the pep talk!!! I can't wait to finally get out there and run, the taper is wearing on me! I'm too worried about the little things that are totally out of my control... Do you usually wear a "throw away" shirt for the start of a colder race, or have you worn the arm warmers? What a bummer about the round ligament pain, is this your first baby?

Thanks for the tips, and the pep talk!!! I can't wait to finally get out there and run, the taper is wearing on me! I'm too worried about the little things that are totally out of my control... Do you usually wear a "throw away" shirt for the start of a colder race, or have you worn the arm warmers? What a bummer about the round ligament pain, is this your first baby?

I've heard great things about the Disney World marathon - did you love it? I really wish I could handle the Gu, because it is fantastic energy wise - just not easy on the digestive system :) I keep saying that I just want to finish, but deep down I can't help but care a little bit about my pace. Had you previously run half marathons? I'm curious how the two experiences compare...

I've heard great things about the Disney World marathon - did you love it? I really wish I could handle the Gu, because it is fantastic energy wise - just not easy on the digestive system :) I keep saying that I just want to finish, but deep down I can't help but care a little bit about my pace. Had you previously run half marathons? I'm curious how the two experiences compare...

I did love disney...it was, as they say, magical! Running through the parks and through cinderella's castle was a blast!

I know you're still going to care about your time...just don't be upset with yourself if you don't hit your goal time. Its always good to have a goal....but the last 6 miles of a marathon are really tough....you just don't know how they're gonna go. I ended up getting a major cramp in my back and had to stop twice at medical tents for biofreeze before I could get it to relax....that lasted from about mile 21-25.

I ran one half marathon before my marathon....I thought the half was a blast. Definitely easier to train for and easier to recover from. (Felt like a train hit me after the full.) Think of it like this, a lot of people say that the halfway point of a marathon is mile 18....b/c the last eight are that tough. But its soooo worth it. You just gotta remind yourself why you're doing it and how proud you're going to be when you cross the finish. Its such an amazing feeling to run across the finish line and get your medal! And if it makes you feel better, my longest run before my marathon was only 15 miles due to two months of injuries that I'd been dealing with. So if I can pull it off after only training to 15....I have faith that anyone can do it when completeing a real training schedule.

I saw you asked another poster about throw away clothes....we did this. My sister and I bought hoodies and tear-away pants at goodwill for $5. We tossed the pants right before we started, and shed the hoodies after we warmed up in the first mile or so. We also wore self-sticking hot packs on our lower backs before the race to help us stay warm....they were great...just make sure you take it off before the race starts or within the first couple miles. I left mine on til mile 11, which was fine until I got in my ice bath afterwards and realized that it had given me huge blisters from rubbing for 11 miles....those blisters sure burned in the ice bath! And I still have a small scar from one of them.

Anyhow...sorry this is so long. I'm just excited for you. I'm sitting here 9 months preggo just itching to be able to run again! Good luck!!!!

I did love disney...it was, as they say, magical! Running through the parks and through cinderella's castle was a blast!

I know you're still going to care about your time...just don't be upset with yourself if you don't hit your goal time. Its always good to have a goal....but the last 6 miles of a marathon are really tough....you just don't know how they're gonna go. I ended up getting a major cramp in my back and had to stop twice at medical tents for biofreeze before I could get it to relax....that lasted from about mile 21-25.

I ran one half marathon before my marathon....I thought the half was a blast. Definitely easier to train for and easier to recover from. (Felt like a train hit me after the full.) Think of it like this, a lot of people say that the halfway point of a marathon is mile 18....b/c the last eight are that tough. But its soooo worth it. You just gotta remind yourself why you're doing it and how proud you're going to be when you cross the finish. Its such an amazing feeling to run across the finish line and get your medal! And if it makes you feel better, my longest run before my marathon was only 15 miles due to two months of injuries that I'd been dealing with. So if I can pull it off after only training to 15....I have faith that anyone can do it when completeing a real training schedule.

I saw you asked another poster about throw away clothes....we did this. My sister and I bought hoodies and tear-away pants at goodwill for $5. We tossed the pants right before we started, and shed the hoodies after we warmed up in the first mile or so. We also wore self-sticking hot packs on our lower backs before the race to help us stay warm....they were great...just make sure you take it off before the race starts or within the first couple miles. I left mine on til mile 11, which was fine until I got in my ice bath afterwards and realized that it had given me huge blisters from rubbing for 11 miles....those blisters sure burned in the ice bath! And I still have a small scar from one of them.

Anyhow...sorry this is so long. I'm just excited for you. I'm sitting here 9 months preggo just itching to be able to run again! Good luck!!!!

Hi there, which marathon are you running on the 16th? I'll be running the AC Marathon and it's my first as well!! I've been using Gu on my long runs, only chocolate and vanilla bean thou. Good luck out there!!!

Hi there, which marathon are you running on the 16th? I'll be running the AC Marathon and it's my first as well!! I've been using Gu on my long runs, only chocolate and vanilla bean thou. Good luck out there!!!

Awww - LOVED the long post!! You're actually the second person to tell me that they ran a marathon with only a 15 miler during training (also due to injury), maybe the quality vs quantity really comes into play... Thanks for sharing your tips (and enthusiasm) with me! I love to hear about the reality of the 26.2, because I'm guessing it gets pretty intense from mile 20 on. I know when I hit 18 and I still have 8 left, I'm going to have to stay positive. Do you have any fav running mantras? Sometimes I think "Embrace the suck (when it really sucks!) and other times "it's not supposed to be easy."

I'm going to hit up Goodwill this weekend for some throw-aways!

Awww - LOVED the long post!! You're actually the second person to tell me that they ran a marathon with only a 15 miler during training (also due to injury), maybe the quality vs quantity really comes into play... Thanks for sharing your tips (and enthusiasm) with me! I love to hear about the reality of the 26.2, because I'm guessing it gets pretty intense from mile 20 on. I know when I hit 18 and I still have 8 left, I'm going to have to stay positive. Do you have any fav running mantras? Sometimes I think "Embrace the suck (when it really sucks!) and other times "it's not supposed to be easy."

The material on this website is provided for educational purposes only and is not to be used for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, or in place of therapy or medical care. Use of this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policy

Advertising Notice

This Site and third parties who place advertisements on this Site may collect and use information about your visits to this Site and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like to obtain more information about these advertising practices and to make choices about online behavioral advertising, please click here